Assessment of Tick Control Practices and Acaricide Resistance Awareness Among Livestock Farmers in Borno State, North East Nigeria

Tick-borne diseases impose substantial economic losses on the livestock sector in northeastern Nigeria, and effective tick control requires informed use of acaricides with adequate awareness of resistance development risks. This study assesses tick control practices and acaricide resistance awareness among livestock farmers in Borno State, North East Nigeria. A cross-sectional professional survey was conducted across three livestock farming communities in Maiduguri, Konduga, and Dikwa Local Government Areas, enrolling 240 livestock farmers raising cattle, sheep, and goats. Structured questionnaires assessed acaricide selection practices, dilution accuracy, application frequency, product rotation behaviour, and knowledge of resistance as a concept. A subset of 30 farms was visited to observe dipping and spraying practices and collect tick samples for resistance bioassay preliminary screening. Evidence from 2020 to 2024 identifies inconsistent acaricide application rates, failure to rotate active ingredient classes, and use of subtherapeutic concentrations as the primary drivers of acaricide resistance emergence in northeastern Nigerian livestock systems. This study generates a farmer knowledge and practice profile and identifies the most critical gaps for targeted extension education. Recommendations will be submitted to the Borno State Ministry of Agriculture and the National Animal Production Research Institute. Keywords: tick control, acaricide resistance, livestock farmers, Borno State, veterinary extension.